It all seems so simple, but Jericho’s instincts won’t let him rest. As he investigates, he finds troubling suggestions that the murder is a part of something larger and more sinister. But working within the boundaries of the law may keep him from finding the truth. If Jericho doesn’t break the rules, an innocent man may rot in jail while a killer remains free to strike again.

Inevitably, it all comes back to Wade. Because who else knows as much about breaking rules? And who else knows Jericho the way Wade does—not wisely, but far, far too well?

EXCERPT

Jericho Crewe was at home, pretending to watch TV while brooding about the sorry state of his life, when the phone rang. Nikki’s tone. He was tempted to ignore it, but she was his father’s widow, the mother of his two half siblings—his responsibility. So he answered, expecting to hear her strident demands for whatever favor she’d managed to dream up.

Instead he heard, “I like snakes,” in a childish voice.

“Elijah? That you? You like snakes?” Jericho took a moment to clue in. “Oh, okay. Our deal. Snakes instead of guns.”

“Guns are still best, but you said I should tell you what I like second best. That’s snakes.”

It had taken the kid a couple months to come up with it, but Jericho supposed it was better late than never. “Okay. Good.” He tried to think it through. “I like snakes too. Maybe we should go for a hike and see if we can find some? Or maybe the zoo . . . there’s a little zoo down in Billings, I think, and I could check if they have snakes.”

“Mom says they do. She says it has to be an overnight trip if we go to Billings, because it’s far. She says Nicolette has to come too, and you have to find something Nicolette wants to do on the trip so she’s not left out.”

Yup, that sounded like Nikki. Why impose on him for one child’s care when she could push for two? Of course, free babysitting was the least sinister explanation for the woman’s sudden interest in having Jericho spend time with the kids. “Uh . . . did she have any idea what Nicolette would want to do?”

“She said this whole thing is your plan, so it’s your problem to figure that out.”

Of course it was. Jericho thought about having both kids in the car with him for about four hours each way, staying in a hotel with them, trying to keep them from setting the place on fire or freeing all the animals at the zoo—“How about we find something closer to home? Hey, does Nicolette like horses? We could go horseback riding somewhere there’s likely to be snakes.”

“I don’t want to ride a horse.”

Of course he didn’t.

“Uncle Wade says you should talk to Cory Barker about snakes. He says Cory has lots.”

Jericho tried not to react to Wade’s name. It had been a couple months since their last meeting, up in the forest. Which was good. Jericho’s life would be a hell of a lot easier if he could stay the hell away from Wade Granger. Not feel snubbed by the man’s absence. Not feel the aching need in his gut expanding from a tiny acorn into what sometimes felt like a full-grown oak tree. Wasn’t lying awake at night, imagining Wade’s hands on his body instead of his own. Not at all. “I’m not sure I know Cory Barker.”

“Uncle Wade says you should get to know him.”

Maybe Uncle Wade should take you to see Cory Barker and his damn snakes. Maybe Uncle Wade should mind his own damn business and stop telling me what to do. Maybe Uncle Wade should shove one of Cory Barker’s snakes right—

“Are you going to call him? You said you’d get me something for my second-favorite thing. That’s what you said.”

“Yeah, I’ll— I don’t know about Cory Barker, but I’ll figure it out, for sure. Maybe not Cory Barker, but . . . snakes. You got it. And what about your sister? Has she got a favorite thing yet?”

“It’s not fair that she gets her first favorite and I only get my second favorite.”

“If her first favorite is lethal, she’s not going to get it, either. Is she there? Can I talk to her?”

“She’s busy. Bye.”

And Jericho was left staring at his phone. What the hell was Wade up to? Was he just being helpful, suggesting a way to give Elijah a treat without too much trouble? Maybe, but Wade was rarely just anything.

Jericho hit one of the stored numbers in his phone, and a moment later heard, “Mosely Sheriff’s Department. Deputy Garron speaking.”

“It’s Jericho. Do you know anything about a guy named Cory Barker?”

“Cory Barker? Sure, we’ve had him in a few times. General lowlife, nothing too exciting. Why?”

“Don’t suppose you know if he keeps snakes?”

A disgusted snort. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Is there—” Damn, how to word this? “Is there a reason we’d be interested in him for anything going on lately?”

Jericho could practically hear Garron’s scowl. “What’s this about?”

Jericho wasn’t going to share that detail. He wasn’t going to admit that his ex-lover had possibly given him a tip, but had equally possibly just been helping him find snakes for an annoying six-year-old. He wasn’t going to explain that even if it did turn out to be a tip, there was a damn good chance it was based on furthering Wade’s interests rather than those of the sheriff’s department. There was no way to explain any of it. No way to explain Wade. And also no way to ignore him, not for Jericho. “Have you got a phone number or an address for him? Cory Barker?”

“Hang on,” Garron grumbled. He was back a minute later. “No phone number. As I recall, there was lots of swearing about us not having his permission to call. I’ve got an address, though. Over by the elementary school, Seventeen Thompson Crescent.”

“Thanks.”

“You going over there? You need backup?”

“No.” At least, he hoped he didn’t. “It’s not a police issue. I’m just—I’m looking for snakes.”

“Right,” Garron drawled. “Good luck with that.”

Review:

Darkness brings more action—locally—that Jericho gets to work on instead of involving the DEA and the FBI, but it also makes him realize it may not be for him. He has some decisions to make and, hopefully, those decisions are going to include sexy and charming Wade.

Jay had time to do a lot of reflecting in this installment and he’s getting restless—I don’t know if that’s what finally allowed him to give in to Wade. . .or not, but they finally had sex after fifteen years—but here’s the thing…It was off page and I can’t tell you how bad I was hating that. It was still a great moment and I felt it in my gut and that’s due to the author’s writing ...but dang.

Jay also has a heart to heart with Nikki and lets her in on a few things he’s discovered on his own, but Nikki being Nikki, she was still a bitch even though Jay was basically trying to watch her back.

I’m really loving this series that Kate Sherwood has created and even though it’s low on the romance…low on the sizzle…there is still this overall feeling you get in your gut about these two guys that you root for—so hard—that you want them to have their moment, their happy ever after.

These two belong together. No if’s—and’s—or but’s. Let’s see if Home Fires will make that happen. On to book four.

* I was provided a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review *